Means for signaling and stopping railway-vehicles.



PATBNTED APR. 80, 1907.

W. M. BECK. MEANS FOR SIGNALING AND STOPPING RAILWAY VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.14.1905.-

2 SHEETS-SHDET l.

w m l PATENTBD APR. so, 1967.

W. M. BECK. MEANS FOR SIGNALING AND STOPPING RAILWAY VEHICLES.

AIPLIGATION FILED DEO.14,1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' WILtnm M. BECK, or ELWOOD, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-THIRD TO CHARLES T. PARKER, OF FAIRMOUNT, INDIANA.-

MEANS FOR SlGNALING AND STOPPING RAILWAY-VEHICLES.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apri1 30, 1907.

Application filed December 14,1905. Serial No. 291,688.

"that the following is a full,-clear',- and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, inwhich -like letters refer to like parts:

One object of this invention is to prevent wrecks on railways due to open switches.

This object is accomplished by providing means in the track connected with and actuated by the switch for operating means mounted on the locomotive car or vehicle for giving a signal, shutting off the power,

and throwing the. brakes into operation.

The purpose is to provide mechanical means for automatically doing this work so that dependence will not have to be placed upon the engineer or driver for preventing a Wreck by an open switch.

Another feature consists in providing means in the railway for operating the whistle on the locomotive or signal on the car for any pur ose.

The nature of this invention will be under- I stood from-the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings Flgu-re 1 1s a side elevation of a portion of a railway and a large locomotive thereon, shown largely in dotted lines, the same being equipped .wi-thmy said invention. tion of the valve mechanism" connected with the air pipe of the brake system, and a side elevation of the means for operating the same, parts being broken away and parts shown in dotted lines. Fig.53 is a central vertical section Ofthe cylinder connected with the air pipe for operating the throttle of the locomotive, parts being broken away. Fig. 4 is a perspective viewv of, the means mounted in the railway for actuating the parts on the locomotive; Fig. 5 is a side olevation of said means as mounted, the upper or actuating position being shown bydottcd lines. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a section of the railway, showing switches equipped with my improved means for operating parts of a locomotive, car or other vehicle. Fi 7 is a vertical transverse section on the ine closed.

beingshown by dotted lines. perspective view of aportion of the railway by dotted lines in Fig. 5.

Fig. 2.1s a central vertical sec- 77 of Fig. 6, the switch being shown Fig. 8 is the same with the switch open. Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 6, an altered position of the switch rail Fig- 10 is a and means for actuating the parts of the locomotive and the mounting for said means,

and engaging parts on the locomotive in position, parts being in vertical section.

In detail 10 represents a portion of a locomotive, 11 isthe whistle, and 12 a lever for actuating the whistle, the lever being fulcrumed at 13. A bracket 14 is secured to the boiler at 15., The lever 12 is actuated by a wire 16 which at its lower end is attached to the bell-crank lever .17 fulcrumed at 18 to the side of the locomotive. "The downwardly extending arm of said hellcrank 17 projects horizontally and trans;

versely of the track so as to be engaged by the upward projection 19 from the trackplate 20 when the latter is elevated, as shown When the means just described draws the wire 16 downward it operates. the whistle. may beemployed for a danger signal in ad- -vance of switches or railway crossings, or as a crossing signal for use in advance of highway crossing s.

To the rear of the whistle-actuating mechanism 17, means is provided for stopping the locomotive or train. To that end a lever 21 is fulcrumed at 22 to the valve casing 23 -or other means secured to the locomotive or car in position under the lever 21 to engage the track plate 20. The lever 21 is curved so that it will ride up on the inclined upper surface of the plate 2Uand be actuated thereby from the full line position shown iii-Fig. 2 to the dotted line position. The lever 21 is held in its actuated position by a rod 25 extending up through a slotin the plate 26 that has a sharp pawl-like point 27 which engages teeth or ratchet sZS, the rod 25 being pressed toward said point 27 by aspring 29. This rod 25projccts upward with thehandle beside the cab of the locomotive, where it will be convenient for the engineer to reach This arrangement ICC tion in Jig. 2 through. the agency of the valve stem 32. Then 8.11 from the train line or sir brake pipe 33 will rush through pipe thereby the air brakes will be immediately of the re set after the throttle valve has been closed.

r'm '31 Z nis me immediately and automatically bring the locomotive and train to it stop.

fitter the engineer has released the rod 25 end lever i the spring 42 on the upper end ,4 L1 s3 shl'dCPIQSS said rod and toe 31, whereupon the parts will. resume their normal position. To neutralize the pressure on the piston, when valve 31 is c osed at por crowded in the chernber oi the velve c 23, which is closed by the velve 31 when downward posit on and opened by seed vs e when in its upper posii piston rod 38 permits tion. The slot 9 the engineer to its ly operate his throttle.

- While I have shown a specific means with e locomotive for operating-the throttle lever and setting the air brakes, i do not wish to be l'mited to the detsils of said construction, do I ish the invention limited to the i throwing the ti :ottle lever, for the llEVlCG may he used in connection with electricmotors or other motive power, or cars Where the inechenisin will operate it controller to throw current oil or device to stop the power or to opera e the bra-hes.

' he trecli piste is substantially horiextends lon itudinallyof the track end is inclined upwer tly toward the middle from each end so that the parts of the locomotive-or other vehicle to be engaged by it i l l" effected during high speed it has a vertical plate l 2O rigid, and also nd hats downwardly exvhereby is fulcrunied mounted trons- ;ey, as shown in F shafts he've at one side of the rails L6 upwardly extending cranks 47 -Jfjll. e wire or red i8 is pivoted. This t 0 od runs to switch and operetively connected therewith. This part of the construction as here shown, consists of a stand 49 mounted on e cross-tie 50 be side the treclr upon which a horizontal bellcrenh 51 is folcrumed. One arm of said bellcrenkxis pivoted on said wire or rod 48, and the other arm to the rod 52 that extends transversely through the track-mils 4:6 and the switch rail 53. A not 54 is secured on scenes the transverse rod 52 in such position that the switch rail 53 when moved by the switch lever 55 against the rail 46 will operate the mechenisin heretofore described and elevate the plete 2G to dotted line position shown in Fig. 5. Consequently the; switch being open and in it dangerous condition, an eppro-selling train will be eutonieticelly warned and stopped. This construction will not prevent the itch rail being moved from the rail 46 by the switch lever 56 as the nut 54; is only at the outside of the switch rail. li h en the switch is closed'to the position shown in wire or rod 415 may be connected with a plureli ty of switches. Thus in 6, the some wire or rod that runs to the already described extends heel: to at second switch .37, tu ning off in on opposite direc- The 1 "ts there are the some as in the first mentioned switch, excepting the nut 54. is at the opposite side of the switch reil that is to be moved. T he operetion of these verious switches will not interfere ith ch other, as the lost mentioned-SW on can: he opened without opening the first m ntioned switch.

' E liot 1 claim my ii'ivention and desire to secure by Letters Potent is: i

1. T he combination nith reilwey, e locomotive movable thereon, e throttle lever on sold locomotive, of e cylinder on eloconiotive, a piston therein, piston-rod with its outer end provided with e longitudinal slot through "which said throttle lever extends so that said piston-rod n'niy drew the lever in one direction and leave the lever tree to be operated by the engineer when the pistonrod is idle, an exhaust at one end of the cylinder, a pipe entering the cylinder from o supply of fluid under pr: means for regulating the admission of seid fluid to said cylinder, and means .in the railway track for causing the operation of said rcgi ting metres.

2. The combination e reilw 1y, oi"

' s in the railway trecl: for octueting M to of :i vehicle passing switch with e, movable switch-roll recessed on the side next to the main reil, means for throwing said switch-roll, :1 rod passing loosely through said switch and main rail with e stop-nut thereon registering withthe recess in the switch-rail, o bell-crank mounted in the track with one arm pivoted to said rod and e connection between the other arm of said bell-creel; end the means in the track,

for operating the portsof' the vehicle.

S. The combination with e railway, of a.

plate extending loi'igitudinelly oi the railway end adopted when elevated to engage parts first switch.

on the track, a

6, the plate 20 at distance will be of a vehicle traveling on said railway, a pair my signature in the presence of the Witnesses ofllemnkiredfi mlounted tmndsversely in the herein named. ra' s wit 1 sai ate mounte on the cranks r thereof, a swibcii provided with a switch-rail, W ILLIAM BECK 5 and means actuated thereby for oscillating Witnesses:

said crank-rods. N. ALLEMONG,

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed I HELEN B MCCORD. 

